Equal Time with Mary C. Curtis CQ Roll Call

If it’s an election year, expect crime to be an issue. Candidates and parties draw conclusions with every headline, and exchange rhetoric that sheds more heat than light. But the history and reality of America’s criminal justice system is more complicated than a “tough on crime” slogan would indicate. The just published “Excessive Punishment: How the Justice System Creates Mass Incarceration” offers essays by scholars, advocates, those who have experienced incarceration and former law enforcement who make the case that public safety, justice, and fairness are not only compatible as goals, but they can and must be achieved together. Lauren-Brooke Eisen, the book’s editor, is the senior director of the Brennan Center’s Justice Program, where she leads the organization’s work to reduce America’s reliance on incarceration, is the author of Inside Private Prisons (Columbia, 2017) and a former prosecutor. She joins Equal Time to talk about why the book is especially timely in the present political climate.
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Despite record-low Black unemployment and a higher labor force participation rate than Whites, major barriers impede homeownership among African Americans, a fact that contributes to a yawning racial wealth gap. The gap is so expansive that the 400 wealthiest Americans control the same amount of wealth as the 48 million Blacks living in the United States. Importantly, however, there are solutions.
Dr. Courtney Johnson Rose serves as President of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), the premier network of Black real estate professionals and one of the oldest minority trade associations in the country with more than 100 chapters nationwide. The organization is sponsoring a Black Wealth Tour in cities around the country, with Dr. Rose and NAREB representatives leading classes, workshops, and one-on-one counseling to advise families on home buying, investing, and careers in real estate.
With her background – both personal and professional – in the field, Dr. Rose is prepared to tackle this challenge. And she is my guest on this episode of Equal Time.
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The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation" might have been published in 2007, but its message is as relevant as ever, especially as campaign 2024 ramps up. Author Drew Westen, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at Emory University, has for 20 years explored the role of emotions in how the brain processes information. That’s true in life – and in politics. And that explains why Westen has advised or worked as a political consultant for Democratic candidates, progressive and labor organizations and Fortune 500 companies for 20 years. Equal Time speaks to Westen on how a better understanding of the mind and brain translates into more compelling political messaging. Who is doing it right – and who could most use his help right now
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In a hectic time of preparation for the holidays, it’s important to remember those who may be struggling, a message elevated by United Way. Alice Archabal brings more than 20 years of experience driving results for mission- driven organizations to her work as executive vice president and chief development officer for United Way Worldwide. There, she provides leadership to drive the organization’s revenue strategy, including its collaborative outreach to local voices across the globe. She joins Equal Time to talk about the role of nonprofits in identifying solutions to today’s most pressing problems, such as food and housing insecurity, climate change, and economic mobility. And she shares her thoughts about how we all benefit when folks give back.
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Dr. Beverly Wright has been a leading voice on the impact of the global climate crisis for decades, spreading awareness, working on solutions and educating the next generations. As executive director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, an organization she founded 30 years ago, and a member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, she is the heart of the environmental justice movement. With the Biden administration’s rollout of billions to help communities combat the effects of climate change, and the United Nations Climate Change Conference convening in the United Arab Emirates through Dec. 12, the spotlight is on the issue and efforts to help vulnerable countries cope with the crisis. At COP28, Dr. Wright is sharing her organization’s work, and amplifying the voices of those most impacted — communities of color and indigenous people, particularly those in the Global South. She joins Equal Time to discuss her mission and her message.
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Since the Voting Rights Act of 1965 opened the franchise to all Americans, Alabama has often been at the center of voting debates. This year is no exception. New maps ordered by and approved by the courts after a contentious yearslong battle, could give the state’s Black voters a greater voice, and affect the balance of power in Congress after the 2024 elections. But it all depends on turnout. Formerly a candidate, Dr. Adia Winfrey is now focused on voter mobilization and education through her organization, Transform Alabama, and sometimes uses some of the “hip-hop” strategies that energized her campaign. Student ambassador Maurice Gray is a believer, and has joined the cause to urge young people to care – and to vote. Both join this episode of Equal Time.
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